If you think this year’s election involves lots of fun and games the video below shows the campaign trail nearly fifty years ago at the 1975 election. There are a few things which you may find rather interesting to view:
1. How awkward Sir Robert Muldoon was in “social” settings – 7 mins 25 secs – and clearly not enjoying it.
2. Muldoon’s comment at 10 mins 2 secs could be made by Mr Luxon today.
3. The heckler at 11 mins 53 secs shows what a big sook David Seymour was on Sunday.
What is amazing to watch is the extraordinary numbers of people who were turning out to Muldoon’s meetings, and the number of meetings he undertook in the space of a month. I was also amused to compare Muldoon back then with Christopher Luxon today in that Muldoon had no entourage with him; it was just himself and his lady wife. He didn’t require anybody to hold his hand.
By contrast, what struck me about then Prime Minister Bill Rowling was how arrogant he was. There are a few books where, in contrast to the perception (mostly created by Sir Robert Jones) of Rowling being weak and ineffectual, others claimed that privately Rowling really was full of himself and I can absolutely see what they mean by watching the film footage in this video.
Some examples include:
1. Having his wife walk behind him, if you please, at 14 mins 15 secs.
2. Seemingly unaware the footage from 14 mins 20 secs shows everybody else is taller than he is.
3. His whole demeanour from 14 mins 50 secs (for about 1 minute) shows he fully expects people to be delighted to see him.
4. The voice-over of Rowling at 17 mins 40 secs bemoaning what a bore it is to have to – you know – actually engage in campaigning.
5. The section from 19 mins 40 secs onwards is just breathtaking in its arrogance. You really need to watch this turkey.
6. And watch Rowling’s quite extraordinary behaviour at 20 mins 10 secs with the waitress; not even an acknowledgement of the woman! (the arrogant ‘sense of entitlement’ is just shocking).
Some other things you may find amusing – and how different to today include:
1. The disclaimer at 23 mins 10 secs; today the media declare their opinions are those of the entire country!
2. The lack of homeless tramps, and the abundance of traffic, in Queen Street – and everyone managed to survive.
3. Notice a young Mike Moore and Richard Prebble at 24 mins 10 secs.
4. Bill Rowling hilariously pretending to be a socialist at 24 mins 40 secs.
5. Various witty comments by journalist and cartoonist Tom Scott.
Overall I would put it to you, dear reader, that despite the passage of time there are an awful lot of things which appear to have remained the same about elections in New Zealand, and those taking part in them.
